mischiefe of pride surely as pride spoileth vertue so vice spoileth pride againe And as out of the ashes of other sinnes pride is said to spring vp so out of the flourishing againe of other sinnes all that pride is plucked downe againe And this may bee thought to bee one cause why the Lord seeth it meete not wholly to free his seruants from many infirmities and much corruption of nature which is found still remaining in them namely that as he would not cast out all the enemies of his people out of that good land to which he had brought them lest the wild beastes for want of their helpe should preuaile against them so doth the Lord suffer that strength of corruption to remaine in his children that they may be aided thereby against all the assailings of pride which is such a wild beast as otherwise could not well bee with-stood but were likely otherwise to deuoure all vertue that it could find in them and by so doing come finally to ouerthrow them Satan therefore that is so busie with Gods children to bee euer tempting them to sinne and to one sinne after another doth therein but worke against himselfe and doth but lay a traine to blow vp the castles of pride wherein himselfe should most strongly and safely abide And while he neuer leaueth till he haue drawne the childe of God at the last to commit some great and hainous sinne which proueth to be as a wakening sinne vnto him who before was slumbring in securitie and maketh him to start vp and arise out of his sleepe and considering his waies in his heart to humble himselfe at once and to repent for that and for all his sinnes beside Now Satan in this doing doth but pull as we vse to say an old house vpon his head for he pulleth downe and ouerthroweth thereby the whole frame of all the other sinnes which hee had built vp and got to be planted in that mans heart before and so by his restlesse tentations he destroyeth and crosseth his owne worke the Lord making him in despight of his teeth to worke against himselfe who though he doe what he can yet will the Lord euer be found to ouershoote Satan euen in his own bowe In all which respects the Lord through his infinite wisedome goodnesse and mercy so ordering euery thing as he maketh the very sinnes of his seruants committed by them not a little to turne to the good of themselues by causing them therby the better to know their owne frailtie and what strength of corruption is still abiding in them that so they may be drawne to a greater humiliation and more earnest repenting not alone for their last sinnes but for such sinnes also as before either were not knowne or neuer at al soundly repented on and withal to haue a far greater care bred in them how to carry themselues more warily for afterwards euermore with feare and trembling working on their owne saluation And when besides Gods seruants shall see the workes of Satan thus distolued in them that what he intended for their ouerthrow doth now serue for their furtherance and to their making for euer the diuels poyson being so altered and changed by the ouer-ruling hand as it becommeth medicine Satan tempting and drawing them to sinne and the Lord by that sinne pulling them out of more sinne so curing sinne by sinne And lastly and chiefly when they at the length doth see how the Lord doth out of the sinnes committed by them how odious and abominable soeuer they haue been which they haue done make way for his owne greater glory and the more magnifying of the riches of those his mercies whereby both the same their sinnes are pardoned vnto them and they themselues in like manner cleared and purged from the venemous infection and strong corruption of them what should let but that which being euer humbled in themselues with godly sorrow for their sinnes and going out of themselues yet the true seruants of God their sinnes notwithstanding may reioyce in the Lord and alwaies reioyce in him for the excellency of all this worke thus wrought by him Q. Though there may be some cause of a Christians reioycing in the Lords blessed worke whereby he bringeth good out of the euill of such sinnes as he hath committed when once such good effects are seene to be brought out yet while this sinne is still abiding without being put to any such vse as you haue before spoken I demaund what cause there can bee shewed or any way found to bee of a Christians reioycing in the Lords worke which hee is in hand with towards him at the very time of his sinning or still abiding in his sinne A. That I may not be mistaken herein I am so farre from either saying or thinking that any seruant of God falling into sinne may any way reioyce in himselfe in respect of the sinne that either he hath once fallen into or still is seene to continue and abide in as confidently I doe affirme he can neuer be sufficiently cast downe nor grieued enough with godly sorrowing for the same and therefore according to the counsell giuen by the Apostle Iames 4. 9. 10. Iames I say he ought to be afflicted to mourne and to weepe letting his laughter be turned into mourning and his ioy into heauinesse humbling himselfe daily in the sight of the Lord till hauing obtained mercy from God for hauing repentance vnto life granted to him whereby hee may turne from his sinne and bring forth fruites worthy of amendment of life the Lord may then lift him vp in giuing him sound comfort and true ioy againe Howbeit in respect of another worke which the Lord himselfe is then in hand with euen when his seruant is sinning or after hee hath sinned found still abiding in that sinne he hath committed if that worke of God could be well seene into and rightly and wisely discerned I see nothing to the contrary but there might be found the like cause of reioycing therein as the sicke patient findeth cause to reioyce in the worke which he seeth his skilfull Physitian to be in hand with when he is tempering the potion mixing the ingredients preparing the medicine and then doth administer it vnto him and sets it a working the patient cannot all this time reioyce as hauing seene and felt what is the good effect of that medicine nor in perceiuing the cure to be fully wrought and finished vpon him but knowing that the Physitian who hath taken him in hand is both skilfull and faithfull hee reioyceth to see him to bee about the worke and so diligent therein as to be a preparing the medicine within his best vnderstanding hee knoweth of all others to bee most fit for his curing So when the Lord seeth no other meanes to be so fit for the recouering of some dull and dead-hearted seruant of his out of some sinne that he is fallen into and in which hee still lieth slumbring without any
repenting for the same but to leaue him to himselfe that the falling into a greater sinne may by occasion of so great a fall be made to awake out of his slumber and be brought to a thorow and sound repentance for all his sinnes together while such a secure Christian thus sicke and diseased is committing of some great and hainous sinne the Lord who is his Physitian is in hand in the meane while with another worke of his owne namely to bee tempering of such a medicine as shall not faile to cure him the Lord taking the poyson of that sinne which he is a committing and making thereof a most soueraigne medicine it being the Lords manner as hath bin spoken before to cure sinne with sinne Now this worke which the Lord is in hand with euen at that time if it either can be seene by himselfe which is most hard so to be seene by any for the present time or can be shewed him by any other to be so a working hath matter in it sufficient to beare out a warrantable reioycing for that the Lord is a doing though otherwise there is most iust cause of deepe sorrowing and most bitter lamentation for that which already is done and is yet further a doing by his owneselfe in that thing CHAP. XXIII Of the second hinderance of ioy in Gods hiding his face and how that is made an occasion of reioycing vnto a true and sound beleeuer THe second maine point about which especially doubt may be made how a true beleeuer may alwaies haue ioy and reioyce in the Lord is in regard of Gods owne dealing towards vs and that either in regard When God hides his face of his withdrawing himselfe from vs by hiding his face or in regard of his comming neare vnto vs by smiting vs with his hand Touching the first it is true there is nothing more grieuous and fearfull then to bee forsaken of God and therefore God himselfe saith Woe vnto Hos 9. 12. you when I shall forsake you for if God bee our light our confidence and our comfort and if all our happinesse be in him then to be forsaken of God is to be depriued of all true comfort to be left to all misery and to be cast as into a whole sea and gulfe of desperate sorrow and into very hell it selfe the fauour of God being better then is life it Psal 63. 3. selfe A man were better bee out of his life then out of Gods fauour But it may be demanded with the Apostle doth or will God at any time cast off his people and it may Rom. 11. 1. be answered againe with the same Apostle God forbid God will not cast away his people And as the Psalmist saith he will not forsake his inheritance for so hath God Psal 94. 14. Heb. 13. 5. himselfe said I will neuer faile thee nor forsake thee True it is God somtimes for a moment in his anger doth hide his Isa 54. 8. face from his children and carryeth the matter of his good will towards them so closely as they can know of no fauour that he beareth them it not being betweene him and them as it was yesterday and yesterday when Psal 90. 13. he is found to be vnto them as a passenger and as a stranger that tarryeth but for a night then there is hanging about him and crying with Moses and the people Oh God returne be pacified towards thy seruants then there is entreating and praying with Dauid Goe not farre from me Psal 22. 11. Psal 119. 8. O God for trouble is hard at hand and forsake me not ouerlong Oh God Yea the Lord himselfe seemeth to rise vp against his children and then there is crying out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Thē Sion mournes and Psal 22. 1. complaines the Lord hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten Isa 49. 14. me But this hiding of Gods face is but a fatherly frowning for a time to awe his children the more and breed the better circumspection in them for afterwards when God doth forsake his children that forsaking is neither fully nor finally for euer He many times hauing forsaken them doth tarry long before he doth returne to them againe he holds off till he can hold off no longer that so he may make his children feare the more to fall out with him againe But it is a sauing feare that keepes vs in that state as we shall not need to feare anymore and it is a profitable vexation and anguish of the soule that bringeth rest thereunto for euer after Though the Lord may seeme somtimes to goe away and to hide his face yet he neuer taketh such a farwell of them as meaning Ioh. 16. 7. 22. no more to come at them But as our Sauiour Christ about the time of his departure comforted his Disciples by telling them it was expedient for them that hee did goe away assuring them that though he did goe away yet hee would see them againe and then they should haue the greater ioy yea their hearts should so reioyce as none should take their ioy from them So may it in some other respect be truly said in this case that it is somtimes expedient for Gods seruants that their heauenly Father doe hide his countenance from them withdraw his presence and goe away especially when that through their too great vnthankfulnesse and securitie they begin to play the wantons too much and it is found with them according to that which runnes in the prouerbe Too much familiarity breedeth contempt then it is time for the Lord to hide his countenance for the better awing of such then doth need require that such be made sorrie and left in heauinesse for howbeit this is euer but for a time I will goe away Hos 5. 15. saith the Lord and hide my selfe till they seeke me in their affliction they will seeke me diligently the Lord looketh for certaine to heare from such when they are in affliction but howsoeuer he doth go away yet may it truly be said to such as our Sauiour promised to his Disciples he will surely come to see them againe and their hearts shall reioyce with such ioy as none shall take from them when they shall once see his face and know his face againe and perceiue the rayes of the bright countenance of God to shine vpon their darke and cloudie hearts what light of comfort will not that bring to a poore distressed soule euen more ioy then corne and wine and oyle though neuer so encreased can possibly cause to be felt And this is that which the Lord promised his people that though for a moment in his anger hee Psal 89. 32. 33. hide his face yet with euerlasting mercy he would haue compassion upon them Yea when the Lord himselfe seemeth to be in greatest displeasure so as he doth visit the offences of his people with the rod and their sinnes
leaue one sinne by the power of the ministery of the word then twenty by being beaten from them by constraint of outward trouble and affliction especially when the knowledge of Gods inexpressable loue vnto vs in Iesus Christ is manifested and brought to light by the Gospell preached so as thereout we are made to know how God hath so loued vs as he hath giuen his Sonne Christ Iesus vnto vs to be our Redeemer and so hath giuen vs to him to bee his redeemed yea that he hath giuen his owne selfe vnto vs to be our most louing Father reconciled vnto vs in Christ Iesus and giuen vs againe power by him to become his children with boldnesse to cry Abba father to him by the spirit of adoption which we haue receiued from him when the knowledge especially the sense and feeling of thâ—se thing◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hearts with sorrow and griefe for 〈…〉 committed that euer we should haue 〈…〉 gracious and a Father most kind 〈…〉 spoken when of a child-like affection 〈…〉 towards him with sorrowing deeply for hauing offâ—nded him and are found as The soule that is drenched with teares of true repentance receiueth such a tincture and die of grace that will neuer after out good natured children that haue soft and tender hearts to bee grieuing sobbing and sighing in euery corner for angering our Father so as our teares may bee perceiued not to be teares of fullennesse or stubbornnesse but of kindnesse and dutifulnesse towards him when looking vpon him whom we haue pierced with our sinne wee shall be found to mourne before him as one that mourneth for his onely some and shall be in bitternesse for him as one that Zach. 12. 10. is in bitternesse for his first borne And when on the otherside the Lord looking graciously backe vpon vs as he did vpon Peter that looke of his shall pierce our Luk. 22. 61. hearts in remembring all his kindnesses causing vs then with Peter to goe out and weepe bitterly When our sorrow groweth thus and is caused after this manner to arise and when the change of life following hereupon taketh also his beginning from the like ground which is that the appearing of the grace of God which bringeth saluation vnto all men is that that teacheth and moueth Tit. 2. 10. 11. yea after a sort compelleth vs to denie vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue godly righteously and soberly in our whole life time following then is such a sorrow a true godly sorrow indeed and such a conuersion and repentance following thereof vndoubtedly sound and vnfained which safely may be rested on and trusted vnto indeed I denie not but that Gods seruants both may and ought to haue sorrow and griefe of heart when Gods chastisements are vpon them and when they are wounded and smitten by his hand but that must not bee the principall cause of their sorrowing nor that which should cause their sorrow most to abound not the punishment but the fault is most to be respected of such and ought principally to be lamented and bewailed by them I doe also acknowledge that the terrour of Gods Law denouncing plagues and punishments and threatnings of vengeance to all that are transgressors thereof may so strike and astonish for a time the hearts of Gods humbled and deiected seruants as there can bee felt of them no other then a seruile and slauish feare of death and condemnation trembling before the fiercenesse of Gods wrath whose angry countenance they behold frowning vpon them and his hand lifted vp bending the blow at them which they feare will strike them dead at his feet Then is their sorrowing little differing from that worldly sorrow that causeth death they sorrowing because they can see no way of escaping but of necessity as they thinke they must haue their portion with the diuell and the damned in eternall hell fier But this kind of sorrowing and fearing is not that which they doe euer abide in nor no longer then the Lord seeth it most expedien for them for their better humbling and then it is taken away againe with that spirit of bondage that made them so to feare and their worldly sorrow becommeth changed into godly sorrow that causeth in them repentance vnto life and their slauish and seruile feare into a sonne-like and a child-like feare causing them to feare the Lord not so much because of his wrath as for that there is mercy with him with which fearing there is ioyned boldnesse and the spirit of adoption giuen them which causeth them to feare after that painfull manner no more Legall contrition then is not any part or cause of repentance in Gods children but onely an occasion thereof and that by the meere mercy of God for it selfe is the sting of the Law and the very entrance into the pit of hell The Law and the Gospell although in some sort they teach one thing yet they perswade not by the same arguments The Gospell perswadeth by the death of Christ who hath loued vs and giuen himselfe for vs that we might be saued by him this the Law neuer knew nor yet taketh knowledge of but it perswadeth with terrour and feare of iudgement but the Gospell hath a more sweeter voice and in a more amiable manner calleth vs to repentance and amendment of life and our Sauiour Christ commeth with blessing vs to turne vs from our iniquities Our godly sorrowing then for sinne which causeth repentance in vs and a turning from our sinnes it Ier. 32. 39. 40. 2. Cor. 7. 1. is a gracious effect of the Gospell and a part of the new Couenant which the Lord promised to make with vs in the latter dayes Thus the sorrow of true conuerts differeth cleerly from the sorrow of hypocrites in that which causeth either CHAP. XXXI How the sorrow of true beleeuers and hypocrites differeth in that which is caused by either THey differ also no lesse in that which is caused by either And to name the chiefe and principall difference at the first the one causeth death and the other causeth life and that is a difference broad enough for euery one plainly to discerne The worldly sorrow of hypocrites causeth death two manner of waies either by making men too secure or by filling them too full of dreadfull horrour and hellish feare either by making them to presume too much and so they come to perish that way or by making them to despaire too much and so they come to be ouerwhelmed and drowned in perdition that way When hypocrites are brought by the feare of Gods iudgments or by the feeling of them to be much troubled and vexed with griefe and sorrow in their hearts and to expresse their inward heauinesse by an outward great humbling of themselues after the manner that Ahab was seene to be before the Lord they grow so conceited in themselues for that they haue done do so flatter themselues with a vaine hope that that which was feared shall
fetch better repentance that they may repent for that which yet they neuer repented of as in the time of Ezra 10. 10. 11 the people hauing repented long were faine to go back to fetch now repentance and hauing fasted before to fast again turne all mirth into mourning because they forgate a speciall sinne of marrying with strange wiues For as in an Euidence and writing for assurance there may be left our such words as should be most effectuall in the conueiance to the great preiudice of the lawfull owner which must cause it to be new written againe so in a mans repentance many things may be found out which were forgotten at the first to the great hindrance of a mans comfort Hence it is that men often remember vpon their death-beds with much griefe of heart the sinnes of their youth their incontinencie their pride their oppression their slanders and wrongs they haue done to their neighbours that are dead and gone no satisfaction hauing been therefore made by them And experience hath tried and taught this that many though they left their sinnes long agoe yet because they did not throughly and soundly repent for them they haue rebounded backe vpon them with terrible sights and fearfull visions to humble them and to bring them to a more serious examination of them and better sorrowing for them though long since left and in a manner quite forgotten I doe not denie but that hypocrites and reprobates The confession of Iudas may somtimes through the great distresse of conscience Matth. 27. 3. 4. that they are in be brought to make a more particular confession of their sinnes and to make speciall mention of their most hainous and enormious vices which they are guilty of and which now haue brought them to that distresse wherein they are Iudas was a rank hypocrite and a close cunning one if euer there was any yet he is said to haue repented and in the hellish sorrow that he was in he made confession of his sin yea he made confession of his particular sin that openly he cared not who heard him and he confessed that sinne that was of all his sinnes the greatest and whereby hee had most offended but because it was without faith in Gods mercie and without any true humbling of himselfe before the Lord seeking vnto him to haue it pardoned and was made not in the true and perfect hatred of that sinne because it was sinne but because hee could keepe his owne counsell no longer and the ouer-ruling hand of God would haue that he should penne his owne inditement and confesse the action that he was guiltie of the fact for which hee was in his conscience now arraigned before he should be hanged that being out of his owne mouth thus condemned all the world might know that hee died iustly damned This confession of his though it was of his particular sinne though it was of his chiefest and most hainous sinne and that openly made to his owne shame yet was it no better then his satisfaction when hee brought againe the money and cast it a forehead from him for nothing can bee well done in a wicked man which yet would bee excellent found done by a good man Besides the confession of Iudas was a falfe confession made to wrong parties such as were guiltie of the same sinne himselfe had committed and therefore were no way fit nor able to relieue him He made his confession to man hee made none to God whom hee had so greatly offended to aske mercie of him he humbled not himselfe before his Lord and Master whom most villanously aboue all he had wronged to aske pardon and forgiuenes at his hands who only could helpe him it was a confession of desperation and not of hope a confession that had no true humiliation ioyned with it a confession more of the innocencie of Christ then of the greatnesse of that sinne by which hee had done all that mischiefe that then was done it was therefore but an effect of worldly and hellish sorrow that caused his death and iust damnation But the humble confession which godly sorrow in the True confession hearts of such as are truly penitent doth cause them to make is the reuerend and modest blushing of their guiltie consciences they now putting themselues to shame not hiding their sinnes any longer but making open confession of them both before God and men when there is iust cause for them so to doe with desire of reconciliation with hope of obtaining mercie at the hands of God and pardon for the same and these doe so confesse their sinnes as it is done with an vtter loathing and perfect hating of them as those that haue no purpose at all to haue any more to doe with them from that time forward as Ephraim who said Hos 14. 8. What haue I to doe with Idols any more The confession of sinne made by hypocrites and such 3. Difference as are vnsound in their repentance is not a voluntarie humble confession of sinne in the griefe of their hearts that they haue done it mooued by a loath some hating of it that makes them so to throw it out as ouerburdensome longer to be kept for they commonly doe not confesse their sinnes before their sinnes be knowne in such sort as the deniall of them is in vaine and without colour and before the confession of sinne bee extorted out of them by the extremitie of some iudgement and plague vpon them As when that terrible thunder and haile mingled with fier Exod. 9 27. so grieuous as neuer before was knowne was throwne downe vpon Pharaohs head and vpon all his land and that innumerable Exod. 10. 16. armie of locusts sent after the haile had deuoured all the fruit which the haile had left then was this confession wroong out of Pharaohs mouth that he had sinned that God was righteous but he and his people were wicked that he had sinned against God and had sinned against his people Hypocrites come not to confession till they bee drawne out as by the eares to the making of it as was Adam Iosh 7. 18. and that they be arrested and attached by some iudgements sent from God as the Lord was said to haue taken Adam and so he was brought out to make his confession When they doe make their confession they do make it but by halues and with their mouthes as halfe open confessing something but not fully the whole matter as it was by them done They confesse their sinne as did Adam who for all his confessing as Iob saith of him Iob 31. 33 yet did still hide his sinne so doe these making confession of their sinnes for all that keepe close much iniquitie in their bosome Adam because his sinne was knowne vnto the Lord who now called to examination for the same did indeede at the last with much adoe say he had eaten but hee kept close his owne iniquitie in his bosome and
MANS ACTIVE OBEDIENCE OR THE POWER OF GODLINES especially in the Commandement of the Gospell which requireth faith in euerie Christian OR A TREATISE OF FAITH WORTHILY CALLED PRECIOVS faith as being in it selfe a most rare iewell of ioy and peerelesse Pearle that excelleth in worth the highest price Wherein is plainly declared what faith in Christ is what properly is the obiect of it what is the speciall operation of faith by which it may bee discerned and the worke about which it is principally imployed the subiect wherein it is placed what things are needfull to the making it vp what to the being and what to the wel-being of it with the differences that are betweene true beleeuers and fained in all of them and the vses thereof By Master WILLIAM NEGVS lately Minister of Gods Word at Lee in Essex LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Nathaniel Newbery and are to be sold at his shop vnder S. Peters Church in Cornehill and in 〈◊〉 head Alley at the signe of the Starre 1619 TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR THOMAS SMITH KNIGHT GOVERNOVR of the worthie Companies of Merchants traffiqueing in the East Indies Moscouia c. increase of grace and all good things here and fulnesse of glorie hereafter RIght Worshipfull it was a preposterous custom of the Pharisees to sound a trumpet when they did their almes as if the act could not bee knowne vnlesse all the world were summoned to take notice nay that God which bids vs giue almes in secret can find a time both to eclipse the glorie of that action published with so loud an alarum and also to make the praise of well-doing breake forth as the light though before neuer so much hidden and that not onely at that day when the Lord shall come who will bring to light the hidden things of darkenesse and then shall euerie man haue praise of God * 1. Cor. 4. 5. but euen in this life often the good workes of some are manifest beforehand to their praise among mē * 1. King 18. 13. Was it not told my Lord saith that Noble Courtier how I hid an hundred men of the Lords Prophets by fiftie in a caue and fed them with bread and water Yes Obadiah thou couldst not doe it so priuily but Eliah knowes it and many more too euen all Gods people which shall therefore for euer call thee blessed Renowned Sir as God hath giuen you a large portion in this worlds good so which is no lesse a gift * 2. Cor. 8. 1. haue you an heart inlarged to communicate to the necessities of others Your bountie extends to many as I am credibly informed one I can speake of much oblieged to your Worship in this kind euen mine own selfe who for some yeeres haue had a liberall allowance from you A worke though not done by stealth as was Obadiahs for God be thanked it is now no treason to feed the Prophets or the sonns of the Prophets yet not so knowne as might be wished deeds of that nature were to the better prouoking of this cold age but God hath at length prouided you an Obadiahs reward a publike commendation for a priuate good desert occasion being offered mee to beare witnesse of your charitie before all the Church euen as many as to whom this booke shall come Which I mention as to testifie my true thankefulnesse which smothers not a benefit when it ought to bee spoken of so to shew the world my warrant for presuming to dedicate the ensuing Treatise to a personage so eminent so taken vp with publike affaires But besides this the good affection and respect you bare to the Author while he liued makes me hope you will bee as forward to patronage his Worke as you haue been found willing to be helpefull to his sonne And indeed Right Worshipfull the worke for the subiect matter of it is such as may worthily challenge all readinesse in you to countenance it it treates chiefly of faith that royall grace the Elects peculiar so pleasing to God so contended for by the Saints which to defend is the highest honour of Princes to liue by the chiefe glorie of Christians But why goe I about to shew the worth of that which none can know but those that haue it Oh! those that haue tasted how good the Lord is whose soules are sweetly refreshed with that peace that passeth all vnderstanding rauished with those toyes vnspeakable and glorious who are strong to ouercome the euill one the world themselues haue power to worke righteousnesse obtaine promises yea to doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth them and all this can beleeuers doe such best know what faith is and how much they owe to God the Authour and the instruments it pleaseth him to vse in this blessed Worke. Amongst other helps this Treatise may be one to all that list to vse it penned by one who to say no more himselfe liuing by faith and feeling in his owne experience the sauing effects of that heauenly gift knew what he said when he intitled it A Jewell of toy and peerelesse pearle The earthen vessell which brought this pearle is now broken broken doe I say or rather made whole for euer cast anew in the mold of immortalitie and filled with that glorie whereunto it was prepared Had it pleased God to haue spared him longer my comfort had been the greater and this work perfecter yet such as it is to Gods people it was intended and from them I for my part durst not detaine it It was no childs part in Micah to steale that siluer which his mother Iudg. 17. had dedicated to the Lord shee pretended though indeed to an idolatrous vse much lesse were it warrantable for me any way to seeke to keepe backe what my Father bequeathed to the Church to so good an end And this I say though but a mite yet if cast into the Lords Treasurie when God accepts it no good man will disdaine it though but a few barly loaues yet it is good they should be distributed when through Christs blessing thousands may be fed thereby If any man shall think the Treatise might be spared because of the commonnesse of the subject faith and repentance being the ordinarie theames of mens Sermons and writings I wish him to consider whither the Israelites did well to be angrie when rising in the morning they found Mannah fallen againe about their tents of which before they had had such plentie Well * Iohn 6. 32. 33 Moses gaue them not that bread from heauen but God the Father giues vs the true bread from heauen for the bread of God is he that commeth downe from heauen and giueth life to the World the same is receiued by faith that bred by the Word and this how soeuer through Gods vnspeakable mercie to this Nation the Presse and Pulpit so much sound with it is a blessing to be imbraced with all thankefulnesse not loathed for the commonnes But if this
pray for them yet would he deny theÌ„ nothing Nay so doth it please him to vnbowel himselfe and to open and manifest the loue of his heart which he beareth to his children that as touching their good and concerning them he saith after a sort they may Isai 45 10. command him By all which it may appeare before wee can warrantably beleeue in God as reckoning vpon his fauour and loue to finde mercie at his hands for the pardon of our sinnes and our owne gratious acceptation with him or for the receiuing any blessing from him or any righteousnesse as from the God of our saluation wee Psal 24 5. must first get the knowledge of Christ Iesus and by faith seeke to apprehend him that being first ingrafted into Christ Iesus by faith and admitted to a holy vnion and communion â—ith the Sonne wee may haue fellowship with the Father and so be brought to God by him according Ioh. 14 6. as he is said to be perfectly able to saue all that doe Heb. 7. 25. come to God by him And this is that which Peter speaketh of when hee saith that the faithfull doe by Christ beleeue in God who raised him vp from the dead and 1. Pet. 1. 21. gaue him glorie that their faith and hope might be in God CHAP. V. The manner of knowledge of Christ with the perswasion that is necessary to faith Question WHat manner of knowledge is that which is necessary for vs to haue of Christ Iesus that so we may the better beleeue in him A. Not a confused or a generall knowledge Knowledge of Christ of Christ alone not a bare speculatiue knowledge of him and of the mysterie of saluation by him which is the best knowledge that the most haue of Christ which is yet but idle and vnfruitfull and auaileth Mat. 7. 21. Luk. 6. 46. nothing to saluation But a cleare and distinct knowledge of the mysterie of saluation in Christ Iesus as the same is reuealed in the Gospell whereby we may know assuredly that it is he and hee onely whom the Father hath sealed sent into the world that the world by him might be saued who being fore-ordained to this great 1. Pet. 1. 20. and blessed worke of mans redemption and sauing the world before the very foundation of the world it selfe was laid and promised to the Fathers as God spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which haue been since Luk. 1. 70. the world began was sent of God when the fulnesse of time was come though being his owne Sonne to become Galath 4. 4. also the Sonne of man and to be made of a woman And as concerning the flesh to descend of the Fathers though from all eternity in himselfe he is God ouer all blessed Rom. 9. 5. for euer A person truly that hath no peere most admirable and wonderfull who is the only Phoenix in the world that hath no fellow euen as the worke was great and difficult yea very admirable and wholly impossible by any other euer to haue been effected about which hee was to bee employed which was the redeeming of the world and reconciling of man to God This will better appeare if we consider first that God himselfe was the partie that was wronged man was the partie that had offended God was to be satisfied man stood in need to be saued necessary it was that there should come satisfaction to God for man that man being saued Gods iustice might not be lost Now the infinite Maiesty of God being wronged there could bee no satisfaction made sufficient by any that were but finite none therefore could thus satisfie but God as none ought to satisfie but man For which cause our Sauiour Christ Iesus was the onely meete person that was to be imployed about this worke which vnto all others was wholly impossible who being God became also man and tooke our nature vpon him that as he was man he might offer the sacrifice and as he was God he might make it precious and conferre worthinesse and dignitie vnto it that it might euery way be sufficient that so by that one sacrifice Heb. 9. 26. 28. of himselfe once offered that being a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour vnto God he might satisfie God Ephes 5. 2. Heb. 5. 9. for man and become the authour of eternall saluation to all them that will obey him Secondly and as wee are to know that in person hee was right wonderfull and in worke no lesse powerfull yea most singular most glorious and excellent so are we to know that the offices were most high and honourable vnto which he was assigned and which he bare vpon him for the accomplishment of the same as being annointed of God to those offices of greatest dignitie and respect both before God and man of being our high Priest King and Prophet by whom we might be reconciled vnto God deliuered from the hands of our enemies ruled by his lawes guided by his teaching and shewed the path and way of life that so in the end we might bee saued by Psal 16. 11. him A high Priest indeed but made not after the law of a carnall commandement in a policy that was perishable Heb. 7. 16. but after the power of an endlesse life in the promise of a dignity that should bee euerlasting A King of greatest Apoc. 1. 5. and 17. 14. Heb. 12. 27. 28. 1. Tim. 1. 17. Luk. 1. 33. Maiesty and glory but not such a one as euer may bee deposed or put out of his throne not such a one whose kingdome can euer bee shaken but who is a King euerlasting and immortall and of whose kingdome and gouernment there shall neuer bee end A Prophet mighty indeed and in word doing such workes as no other Luk. 24. 19. Ioh. 15. 24. Ioh. 7. 46. man did and speaking such words as neuer man spake who was annointed to that holy function as well as others but yet with the oyle of gladnesse aboue all his fellowes Who receiued not the Spirit by measure as Psal 45. 7. doe others for it pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell of whose fulnesse we haue all receiued Ioh. 3. 34. Colos 1. 19. Ioh. 1. 16. Mat. 17. 5. Isa 42. 4. euen grace for grace him are we willed to heare and the Isles are to wait for his law Now we are to pray without ceasing that the God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of glory would giue vnto vs the Spirit of wisedome and reuelation in the true knowledge of him making daily more and more manifest this great mysterie of Christ Ephes 1. 17. which in other ages was not made knowne to the sonnes Ephes 3. 5. of men as it is now reuealed by the Spirit that wee may after this manner both know and acknowledge him Q. Beside the true knowledge of Christ in the description you made of faith
it will vncouer the house and plucke downe the tiles but it will haue passage vnto him If Christ be any where vpon earth it will be with him yea though he hath left the earth yet faith hath not forsaken him but it followeth him through the cloudes as Mark 2. 4. 5. Mark 6. 31. 32. 33. 1. Pet. 1. 8. it were with the wings of an Eagle entring the heauens after him Where Christ giueth it leaue to haue accesse vnto him there is no keeping it from him no force nor violence this way can serue the turne not armies of men nor troupes of souldiers not closing vp in prisons not castles and holds be they neuer so strong though the walles and the gates were all of brasse not all the force of the world if it were all ioyned together against one poore man were able to keepe backe from out of the sight of Christ Iesus that partie whom and whose case faith hath once vndertaken to present and bring before him The whole world is too weake to striue against faith for this is our victorie whereby we ouercome the world 1. Ioh. 5. 4. 5. euen our faith yea all the gates of hell shall neuer bee able Matth. 16. 18. to resist faith or to preuaile against the same so wondrous is the force thereof in our soules as by it all things Mark 9. 23. are made possible vnto vs whither to suffer or ouercome O most incomparable and victorious grace of faith that is thus impregnable and vnconquerable which cannot bee resisted of any thing but ouercommeth all things that it striueth withall How safe is it with that soule that this grace doth once inhabite in How well is it with that man to whom is euer giuen the power of beleeuing for who so findeth this precious faith findeth life and hath 2. Cor. 5. 7. Rom. 11. 20. Gal 2. 20. Iohn 3. 36. Iohn 5 24. obtained mercy and fauour from God for euer to be saued by it we walke by it we stand by it wee liue yea hee that truly beleeueth doth so liue as he hath now eternal life shall neuer see death where euery one that beleeueth not is condemned already How then is the merchandize of this better then the merchandize of siluer and the gaine of this grace better then the gaine of the finest gold It is Laeta mercatura fides Cyrill a gladsome and merry merchandise to bee traffiqued about and a gainefull commoditie to bee got for hee that hath it hath all things to bee his God for his Father Christ Iesus for his Sauiour the holy Ghost for his Comforter the Angels in heauen the Ministers in earth the world it selfe things present and to come all is his he is 1. Cor. 3. 21. 22. 23. Christs and Christ is Gods What cause is there then that all should be set aworke to labour about the obtaining and getting of this grace that is so precious and euen to be rich in this and that euery one doe make prouision for beleeuing that true faith doe not faile vs that should be all our care How well may that be spoken of getting faith in particular which is spoken of wisdome in generall Prou. 4. 5. 7. by Salomon in his Prouerbs Get wisdome get vnderstanding forget it not wisedome is the principall thing therefore get wisdome with all thy gettings get vnderstanding So may it be truly said get faith get the power of beleeuing forget it not faith is the principall thing Heb. 12. 2. Phil. 1. 29. Ephes 2 8. therefore get faith and with al thy gettings get the grace of true beleeuing Faith we know is the gift of God a Faith Gods gift by word commoditie ingrossed into his owne hand alone it is not to be had elsewhere at the hand of any other then onely at his hand whose prerogatiue royall it is to be the Father of light from whom euery good and perfect gift doth come Iames 1. 17. particularly touching this gift of faith he is knowne to be the onely author and the onely finisher of it The Ministers of the Gospel they indeed may be said as Paul speaketh of himselfe and of Apollos to be Ministers by whom 1. Cor. 3. 5. the people doe belieue God vsing the ministerie of the Gospell as a powerfull meanes and ordinance of his owne to work faith in the harts of thē that shall beleeue but they are not the Ministers of whom as of the authors of it the people receiue their faith as though they were Masters Lords of their faith which the Apostle elsewhere doth vtterly disclaime but only helpers as he there speaketh 2. Cor. 1. 24. of the peoples ioy The Ministers in this worke they are indeed labourers and workers together with God but yet 2. Cor. 6. 1. in an inferiour degree and in such a low place as the same Apostle saith they neither are any thing nor can doe any 1. Cor. 3. 7. thing without the Lord who alone doth all their labour is but as the labour of them that doe plant and that doe water it is the Lord alone that is the blesser and hee that giueth the increase to come in saying therefore they are the Ministers by whom the people doe beleeue hee presently sheweth how notwithstanding they came to haue their faith euen saith he as the Lord gaue to euery man 1. Cor. 3. 5. To come then to haue faith we must first attend vpon Gods ordinance in the ministerie of his Word watching daily at wisdoms gates giuing attendance at the postes Prou. 8. 33. Isai 55. 3. of her doores we must incline our eares and come wee must heare that our soules may liue faith is said to come by hearing they that haue lost and left hearing how should they looke to finde faith or euer come to beleeuing Yet this is not all for haue not men heard and doe not men daily heare Yes verily for the sound of the Gospell is gone abroad in all the earth and the Rom. 10. 18. 1. Thes 3. 2. word of this preaching vnto the ends of the world yet all men haue not faith And the Ministers of the Gospell may take vp Isaiahs complaint againe and say Lord Isa 53. 1. Mat. 3. 11. who hath beleeued our report Ministers may offer grace to all but they cannot conferre or giue grace to any Paul may speak to the women that resorted to prayer and to preaching but if God had not opened Lydia's Act. 16. 13. 14. hart to beleeue what was spoken they should haue gone away as they first came We must then beside our hearing send vp to heauen for helpe in this thing that wee may beleeue We must plucke downe that power of God by earnest begging that may strengthen vs vnto this thing for it is no easie matter to haue faith wrought soundly in any mans heart it is such a worke as standeth in need
of the deepest sorrowes the highest springs of the liueliest and most lasting comforts doe oftentimes fall out to bee found and fetched forth These springs are not opened till there be Sorrow brings ioy digging so deepe into the hollow ground of the heart which aboue all things is most deceitfull as there may be comming at the length to the rockie hardnesse that is there to be met with and that rocke it selfe bee so farre digged thorough till there may be felt such a tendernesse and softnesse of the heart and such a brokennesse of spirit as the heart at length may become wholly contrite Psal 22. 14. and so molten in the bowels with godly sorrowing that it be as water powred out and being thus broken contrite and sorrowfull it so be made fit to be presented as a most acceptable and well pleasing sacrifice vnto God Now when the heart of a poore penitent is thus deepely pierced wounded and beaten downe euen to the very bottome and lowest depth of a thorough-sorrowing and holy desparing that he lie complaining and crying out of the bottome of those deepes for helpe vnto God setting out his throat and crying with Dauid Out of the deepe haue I Psal 130. 1. 2. called vnto thee O Lord Lord heare my voice And with Ionah being in the Whales bellie cry out from thence as out of the bellie of hell then will not the Lord despise nor Psal 22. 24. abhorre the low estate of such as are so deceiued he will not hide his face from them but when they crie he will surely heare them for though hee inhabite eternitie and dwelleth on high yet will he listen and looke to him that is Isa 57. 15. of a contrite spirit to receiue the spirit of the humble and to giue life and chearing to them that are contrite in heart Prayers sighes and teares going vp from such a distresse mercies and compassions from God must needs come downe to helpe all againe and the succours of the Lord are vsually in such cases so ready to be found as hee letteth those poore perplexed seruants of his to see them before their eyes and to touch and feele them as with their hands and that in such a manner as they are not alone comforted for the present but confirmed for euermore afterward to trust assuredly in him fall out whatsoeuer at any time may happen such sighing and weeping such calling and crying out vnto God for helpe in time of great need cannot but euer at the length obtaine a prosperous issue as may be seene in Dauid who by his long crying was at the length drawne out of that horrible pit Psal 40. 2. out of the myre and clay wherein before he did sticke so fast and as he else where saith had his heauinesse turned into Psal 30. 11. 12. ioy his mourning into dancing his sackcloth put off and hee himselfe girded with gladnesse for which cause his tongue gaue praise vnto God without ceasing and he vowed to giue thankes vnto him for euermore And by how much the more they haue hungred and thirsted for the consolations of God by so much the more doth the Lord fil them Psal 90. 14. 15. and satisfie them with his mercies and that right soone so as they are made to reioyce the more and to be glad all the daies of their life yea it is the Lords manner to comfort his according to the dayes that he hath afflicted them and according to the yeeres that they haue seene euill then is their mouth filled with laughter and their tongue with ioy as in Psal 126. 1. the turning againe of the captiuitie of Sion So that the ioyfullest body that euer was or is is a true penitent sinner who hauing first felt the load and burthen of his sinnes and been wounded in conscience for committing of them comming at the last to haue those stiffe and starke wounds of his suppled by the powring in of that oyle of gladnesse into his heart whereby hee is cheered and comforted againe in Christ Iesus assurance being giuen vnto him to haue full redemption in his blood euen the forgiuenesse of all his sinnes Oh then there is ioy vnspeakable and glorious in that heart which so sweetly refresh the soule of that mourning sinner as he is in a manner wholly swallowed vp therewith blessing now the time that euer he so mourned for his sinne before whose so mourning before hath brought him this great measure of comfort now and hath put such gladnesse into his heart as causeth him for very ioy both to laugh and sing Isa 65. 14. These are the sweetest ioyes that are thus fetched out of the most bitter sorrowes and these are the surest ioyes that will last longest whose ground hath been laid so deepe as to be raised thus out of the lowest bottomes of a most afflicted estate in a mind that hath been sore wounded and much pierced thorough with painfull sorrowes and most wofull griefes And thus at the length commeth that promise to be fulfilled which the Lord so long ago made to his people that had endured great affliction that Isa 61. 7. for all the sorrow and shame they had endured they should haue double comforts and for their confusion he would make them reioyce in their portion Yea so are Gods seruants comforted in their troubles as euer after they are made better able to comfort others which are in trouble by the 2. Cor. 1. 4. comfort wherewith they themselues are comforted of God CHAP. XXI The difference of their ioy in the third dimension or breadth of it and how it is straitened or extended in them THe third dimension wherein the ioy of these two sorts of beleeuers may bee perceiued much to differ is in respect of the large spread that the one hath reaching it selfe out euery way farre and wide and extending it selfe to such a latitude and breadth as no man can say Thus farre goe the bounds of it and no further and on the other side the narrow breadth straâ—t lysts and short precincts within the compasse whereof the other is shut in hardly pent vp and so narrowly confined as beyond the same it can neuer be found to extend it selfe or reach out any further Hypocrites and mis-beleeuers who are no better then Hypocrites ioy is small or none meere reprobates and plaine wicked persons haue the lists of their ioy and bounds of their reioycing made so narrow and so neerely set together as if one should demand what allowance of bredth is there made vnto such to spread out their ioy vpon and to let their reioycing lawfully be extended by it may bee answered if there be respect had to the lawfulnesse of their ioy they haue not so much as the breadth of a foote of one inch or of one naile to plant and settle true ioy vpon If one would aske in what things may such men lawfully haue ioy and true reioycing
same be shewed vnto vs as the Angell did shâ—w Hagar the well and fountaine from whence she Gen. 21. 19. fetched water for her refreshing in time of her great thirst when she thought there was no way but perishing both for her and her child too in that her distresse If we consider of our sinnes against God which of all things else may iustly be thought to be the greatest let of our ioy and that which doth most hinder our reioycing it cannot be denied if there be any one thing more then other in the world in respect of our selues alone that may cast vs lowest downe and make vs vile in our owne eyes which may cleaue the reines of our backe asunder load our hearts with heauie griefe and fill them brimme full of sorrow and woe which may take all ioy and gladnes from vs and cause our harpes to be turned into mourning Iob. 30. 31. and our organs into the voyce of them that weepe and make our songs be turned into howlings as the Prophet Amos 8. 3. sâ—â—â—keth it is this that wee not onely doe know that in vs that is in our flâ—sh no good thing is abiding but that there is such a perpetuall rebellion found to be in vs and such a law in our members rebelling against the law of our mindes Rom. 7. 23. as is often câ—rrying vs captiue vnto the committing of sinne whereby our owne consciences are deeply wounded God dishonoured and much displeased and thereby enough done to incense his wrath and to cause the fire of his anger to be kindled and flame out against vs in regard whereof wee haue cause to take vp that sorrowfull mourning and lamentation of Ieremiah Woe to vs that Lam. 3. 16. euer wee haue thus sinned and euery one to crie out with the Apostle Oh wrâ—tched man that I am who shall now deliuer Rom. 7. 24. me from this body of death Howbeit as the Apostle Paul feeling that pricke and thornâ— in the flesh the messenger of Satan which was sent to buffâ—t him and praying earnestly to the Lord that it might be taken from him when hee once had receiued answere from the Lord that he would haue his owne strength made perfect in his weaknesse did rest in that answere and was content to haue his owne weaknesse made knowne vnto him that so the power of Christ might the rather rest vpon him for the Lord would haue that continued still causing it to turne to the singular good of the Apostle which he was so much afraid of and did so earnestly pray that it might be remoued and taken quite away from him thereby wholly disappointing Satan of his malitious purpose in turning that to a soueraigne remedie and preseruatiue medicine for the good of his seruant which Satan had prepared and iniected into him as a most pernicious poyson to doe him hurt withall After this manner may the true seruants of God when the Lord either leaues them to themselues to fall through their owne infirmitie or giueth Satan leaue not only to buffet them as hee did Paul but to beate them quite downe and ouercome them so farre as to make them fall to the committing of some grosse and grieuous sinne if by that meanes the Lord being mercifull vnto them What gaine out of sinne through the supplie of his grace giuen they may bee brought the more to be humbled and the better to know their owne frailtie and weaknesse how great it is and to be the more carefull for euer after with feare and trembling to worke out their owne saluation If the riches of Gods grace and superabounding of Gods mercie may be occasioned to be shewed foorth the rather and to shine out the more to his praise in pardoning the sinnes and passing by the transgressions of his people by the meanes of Satans great malice in drawing Gods seruants to commit both many and most heinous offences vntill sinne euery way may be seene to haue abounded in theÌ„ If the glorious excellencie of Gods almightie power may be made cleerely to appeare in raising vp againe his fallen seruants from vnder so great a weaknesse giuing such new strength vnto them as whereby for euer after they are made to stand much more firme and sure then they did before they so fearefully and dangerously did fall If Gods infinite wisedome and the wonderfulnes of his working who hath giuen skill to the Physition by his art to take the flesh of the viper which is poyson and to temper it so with healthsome things and to correct it so with cordials as of poyson hee can make soueraigne triacle that shall expell poyson and so make that which would haue caused death to become an excellent meanes of preseruing life shall in like manner appeare in so ordering and vsing the sinnes of his seruants after they haue once been committed yea euen the greatest and grieuousest of them which are the deadliest venome of all other and the rankest poyson that can be which doth not only kill with death but with death euerlasting as by those sinnes they haue so committed hee cureth them of many sinnes past and preserueth them from many sins for time to come fetching from them and causing to be expelled out of them a deale of inueterated naughtinesse and poysonfull corruption that was so habituated in them that hardly by any other meanes would euer haue bin drawne from them or any way got out of them If by seeing and suffering them to bee cast into such filthie sloughs such puddle and mire and sinkes of loathsome sinnes he forceth them by occasion thereof to goe wash and rinse themselues cleaner purer and whiter from them and all other their sins then euer they were before If by their falling away for a time and departing from him for a season as did Onesimus from Philemon hee recouereth them to a better condition and thereby maketh them his own for euer that now they may no more depart away from him but cleaue faster to the Lord with purpose of heart then euer they did before If by the committing of some enormious vice some most hainous and flagitious wickednesse in committing whereof the very deedes of the wicked may seeme to be exceeded the Lord shall bring his hard-hearted seruant whose heart was harder then the nether milstone that could not before by any meanes be broken now to be so suppled and softned so mollified and made to melt as did the heart of Iosiah in such sort as 1. King 22. 19. that the same sin of his which was most dammable would haue caused death is now made to be a meanes of such humiliation in him and godly sorrowing as causeth and worketh 〈◊〉 in him euen repentance vnto life In these 2. Cor. 7. 10. and the like respects a true seruant of God notwithstanding his manifold sinning may and ought to haue ioy and hiâ— reioycing in the Lord. For some one or other of
vse and practice of it al the dayes of their life and therefore the extraordinary repentance of hypocrites with whom the ordinarie is euer wanting especially that also being sickly and faulty as it euer is is like to stand them in very little stead which can no way bee allowed to be repentance vnto life which were safe for any to trust vnto Againe the repentance of a true conuert differeth from that of an hypocrite in the whole body of repentance and frame of it as it is compact and made vp together and in the seuerall ioynt parts and members if it if they be a part considered and so taken asunder they differ in the obiect which either of them doe most respect and are most occupied about they differ in the effect which they worke and which either of them doe bring forth they differ in that which causeth either and in that which is caused by either The words for repentance vsed in the new Testament are two the one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which commeth of a word that signifieth as much as for one to come to his right mind to be wise at the least after some ouersight to recouer ones selfe it is after-wit or after-wisedome so called because the children of God take warning by the Spirit of God to be wiser after they haue once been ouerseene and beguiled through the deceitfulnesse of sinne this hath in it a godly sorrow with hope of Gods mercy truly and wisely conuerting all the powers of the soule and causing a through change in the whole man from sinne to righteousnesse and so it becommeth repentance vnto life And this is properly the repentance of true beleeuers and of all such as shall be saued for it is sound repentance and hath the perfection of parts in it though not of degrees The other word vsed in the new Testament to set out repentance by is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comming of a word that signifieth to bee sorrie after a fact committed to bee heauie and pensiue to be vexed and grieued for it it is after-griefe because sorrow and griefe pensiuenesse and heauinesse of heart vexation and trouble of conscience vsually doe follow vpon the committing of some hainous sinne This may be without any conuersion or change of a man to make him better this after-griefe may be without that after-wisdome which brings a man to his right mind againe but the other is neuer without this but hath it alwaies included in it for it is sound and hath the perfection of all parts in it This may bee alone without the other which yet is the chiefest part of true repentance and therefore it is vnsound and vnperfect repentance and so vnprofitable and vnauailable euery way to saluation and this is indeed properly the repentance of hypocrites and may be the repentance of all manner of reprobates This is that repentance that Iudas had for the Scripture saith of him that he repented but with this Mat. 27. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentance he went to the halter and so from thence vnto hell fier Thus the repentance of true beleeuers doth differ from the repentance of hypocrites in the whole frame and body of repentance when all of it is taken and considered together CHAP. XXVIII How they differ in all the parts of repentance seuerally considered in their sorrow for sinne and the effects of it where also is shewed the necessity of sorrow in Repentance THey differ also in the parts and seuerall members of the whole they being looked on apart and considered asunder There is in true repentance a sorrow for sinne which is the first occasion of a mans repenting for if a man had not his heart troubled for that he had done he would neuer repent and change his couse then followeth a turning from sinne and a bearing out of fruits that may be worthy of amendment of life Our soules by sweruing from God and going out of the path of Gods Commandements breed their owne sorrow and bring painfull griefe and vexation vpon the heart such as many times hardly can bee endured like bones that are broken or out of ioynt cause heauie dolours to the body and paine intollerable and the longer they abide so not well set and put into socket againe the more painfull is the aking that is felt therefrom so is it with the wounds that doe pierce the soule they will neuer leaue aking till some good meanes be vsed for the well curing of them Sinne which is as a serpent carrying his sting in his taile after it hath been once committed leaueth such a guilt in the conscience that is as painfull to be felt as is the sting of a Scorpion that is dashed into the flesh or the biting of those fierie serpents in the wildernesse that did torment them with extreame paines as if fier had been burning in their flesh Sinne is like a most venomous serpent and draggeth a long taile of punishment after it where euer it becommeth God hath tied together as with fetters of brasse the pleasures of sinne and pains of punishments and plagues for sin he that will haue one must haue both they that will sowe iniquitie shall be sure to reape affliction much smart much griefe much sorrow of heart will alwaies follow after the sence of the guiltinesse of sinne cannot bee felt but the heart will be made restlesse and it will disquiet all the peace thereof causing those painfull dashes and heauie compunctions in the tender soule as hath forced out those lamentable voices and sorrowfull outcries Men and brethren what shall we doe to be saued And without such bitter griefe and sorrow of heart that may force vs thus to cry out yea to roare like beares and mourne sore like Isa 59. 11. 12. doues we may doubt of our repentance and can haue small hope of obtaining any forgiuenesse or pardon for our sinne as well as may any woman hope to get to bee deliuered of her child while she is a sleep or in a dreame without euer enduring any further paines or trauell vsuall to all women in their child-bearing as for a sinner to be freed and deliuered from his sinnes without the sorrowes the painfull throwes and pangs of thorow and vnfained repentance whose working is many times felt so forcible vpon the heart as it is ready to ouercome it and make it for a time vtterly to faint Sinne will not be got away without a great deale of sorrow and griefe and that of such sort as must breake and bruise the soule and grind the very heart to dust and to powder Sinne sticketh so fast to and is so baked on as there must be rubbing hard to get it off Wooll is as fit to wipe away pitch or birdlime as an ouerly sighing or slight saying Lord haue mercie vpon mee will get sinne done away who so doth goe about by truely repenting and humbling of themselues to doe away their sinnes shall find sinne
hee himselfe saith Psalm 32. 3. 4. 5 was while he kept silence and would still haue kept close his sinne and bit in his sorrow and griefe he felt for the same but such smothering of his sin was as if hee hauing hot coales powred into his bosome should haue clasped his garments close about him so to shut them in which euery one knoweth would haue been a course not to be abidden for the burning and scalding would haue been intollerable and neuer to haue bin indured and borne vntill all had been ript open and throwne out againe Therefore when hee could find no more ease by keeping silence he burst out to make open confession of what he had done and came to the acknowledging of his sinne without any further hiding of his iniquity for so he saith he did conclude with himselfe and resolued to do euen to confesse his transgressions vnto the Lord shewing what a blessed effect followed vpon this course taken that then hee was refreshed and found ease to his soule the Lord was pacified towards him and forgaue him the iniquitie of his sinne A very memorable example and thing most worthie to be marked as we are well giuen to vnderstand by that word Selah Sinne in the conscience is as a thorne in a mans foote as needels in the flesh or as poysonfull matter in a soare which lieth burning and belching and aking with paine not to be abidden there is no rest in such cases vntill they be got out the soare launched and the poyson expelled then commeth ease to the patient Iob doth say that If he Iob. 31. 33. had couered his transgressions as did Adam by hiding his iniquitie in his bosome he could haue had no comfort by that course in his distresse Yea the Spirit of God directly setteth it downe that whosoeuer couereth and hideth his sinnes shall neuer prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes that is the man that shall haue mercy Prou. 28. 13. The couers and cloakes of sinne doe nothing but intercept and hide the gracious light of Gods countenance from shining vpon the obtenders and vsers thereof for why should God vouchsafe to forgiue that to vs which wee will not vouchsafe to acknowledge seeing that mortall men doe looke for confession of such faults as others though being but their fellow-seruants haue done against them before they will forgiue them Thrusting out of sinne then and a clearing of the conscience by casting it vp and vomiting of it out of the stomack of the soule as a loathsome burden that cannot any longer be borne by a free an open and plaine confession made thereof and by an acknowledgement of the euill that hath been done though it be against a mans owne selfe that hath been the doer of the same is the readiest and best way that can bee taken to ease a grieued heart that is oppressed with sorrow and heauily laden with the importable burthen of his sinne * Confessio peccati est medicina peccati Nazianz. for confession of sinne is the medicine to cure sin and where sorrow is in such a degree felt in the hart it cannot alwaies bee kept in but it will force out some confession to be made by the tongue to trie if that way any ease can come to the heart or any reliefe possibly bee gotten by such a course taken This confession of sinnes is to be made first and chiefly 1. To God Publike to God and that both publikely with and before others in the publike Congregations and Assemblies of the Church and also priuately in our secret and priuate prayers Priuate by our selues which is then sufficient when our sinnes are not knowne to others or none else thereby wronged and offended vnlesse we find cause to discouer our priuy faults and secret infirmities to some faithfull Minister or friend that is fit and able to counsel and comfort vs in respect of the same as Iam. 5. 6. willeth Christians to do And we are to confesse our sins vnto God not as to one that were ignorant of them and knew them not before to haue been done but as to him that knoweth and perfectly remembreth all things hauing them as it were written before him in a booke who searcheth the heart and knowes all that wee doe amisse that spieth out all our waies and hath the heauens the earth and our owne consciences the faithfull witnesses of our sins against vs therfore are we the rather to confesse our secret sins vnto him because we know he knoweth them that by our so confessing of them wee may doe him to know that wee also know them our selues and that our hearts are so filled with sorrow within for hauing done them that wee cannot but expresse the bitternesse of our griefe by making such an humble confession of our sinnes vnto him who taketh knowledge of all sinnes and that onely can forgiue them and grant vs pardon for them as he hath promised so to doe Prou. 28. 13. 1. Iohn 1. 9. and hath accordingly performed to Dauid and others 2. Sam. 12. 13. Beside this confessing of sinne vnto God if the sinne 2. To men committed hath not onely been done in the sight and knowledge of God but also before men with scandall and offence to the Church wherein it is so done then is it to be openly confessed both to God and men thereby offended that the plaister of confession being spread as far as the hurts and wounds of sinne haue extended they may be soundly cured Sinnes for which confession is due vnto men are either such as be offensiue and hurtfull vnto some certaine and particular persons onely vnto whom like priuate confession is requisite by the testimonie of our Sauiour Christ Mat. 5. 23. 24. or else they are such as bee publikely offensiue and scandalous to a whole Church or Congregation either in regard of the notoriousnesse of the crime committed or in respect of the obstinacie of the offender proceeding vnreclaimeably with an obdurate heart and high hand in 1. Cor. 5. Matth. 18. 17. any priuate or lesser sinne whereby he doth iustly deserue and cause that it should be made publike that others may take heed of him and hee accordingly be censured ashamed chastised for these no lesse then publike cōfession is sufficient that thereby the Church and Congregation may be satisfied and the poore sinners sorrow and griefe of heart as one that is indeed truely penitent may bee brought out and made manifest to be true and sound as it ought to be Here in confession of sinne also there is many manifest Difference thereof and plaine differences betweene the repentance of sound conuerts and of those that are impenitent vnrepentant and at the best but counterfeit And first to begin with the Papists who for priuate 1. From popish confession confession are more seuere in their tradition then God is in his Word vrging euery man vnder paine of damnation
euer haue giuen such a hard sentence of either of them Question The question then from hence may be how farre a man may amplifie his owne weaknes vnworthines without preiudicing the truth Answere For answer hereunto we are to know that as an act of iustice differeth from an act of charitie so the sentence of iudgement differeth from the sentence of affection and sense an act and deed of iustice wee know must goe by a straight thread without swaruing any way at all but an act of charitie hath latitude or breadth as the health 〈◊〉 a mans bodie hath and the Zodiack Circle in the heauens within the extreame whereof the Moone is neuer out of her right course though she moue not euer with her Center vnuariably vpon the ecclipticke line Now in the practice of repentance which is an immediate act of the affections men may according to their feeling make their faults and the reuengement thereof with the most rather then with the lest and yet be within the compasse of the truth of their conceiuing and feeling though beyond the extent of the truth of their sins in themselues exactly considered according to the practice of Zacheus Luke 19. 8. who repenting of his getting goods vniustly said he would giue half of his goods to the poore which thing though an act of repentance will allow a man to doe yet an act of strickt iustice and iudgement will not designe and inioyne a man to doe so much Zacheus repenting said If he had done any Leuit. 6. 5. man wrong he would restore him fourefold which was more then the Law would haue required An indifferent and vpright Iudge comming to iudge betweene two sinners must iudge according to the truth of things neither more nor lesse but a repentant person comming to iudge of himselfe hee iudgeth with the hardest according to the truth of that he doth conceiue and feele to be in himselfe so in the act of charitie a man thinketh best of others and worst of himselfe as wee see in the Apostle Rom. 7. 24. who in true sorrow for his sinne cryeth out of himselfe Rom. 7. 24. expounded as of a most wretched man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is a double compound vsed when one would most disgrace a man now we know the Apostle had not committed any so hainous a sin after his conuersion for in his apologie for himselfe Act. 23. 1. he saith that in all good conscience he hath serued God vnto that day and 2. Cor. 1. 12. he saith that that was his reioycing euen the testimony of his conscience that in all simplicity and godly purenesse he hath had his conuersation in the world c. Now according to this president set before vs in that which was thus done by this blessed Apostle is the course and practice of true conuerts that are throughly humbled and cast downe with sorrow and griefe for their sinnes there is none that will thinke more meanly of them nor any that will cry out more loudly against them then they will thinke meanly and abiectly of themselues and cry out with a note higher then they that are loudest against them for their vnworthines and euill doing And Qui sibi displicet in vitijs deo placet Bernard indeed the more abiect that any true penitent seruant of God is in his owne account so hee ende in faithfull humility and not in stubborne desperation it is the better And so much may serue to haue been spoken for shewing some differences betweene the confession of sins made by hypocrites and those that are sound conuerts and true penitent persons Now as touching confessing of sinnes in geneall when Confession in generall we are brought vpon our knees before the Lord to confesse acknowledge our sins vnto him though we may be specially moued thereunto by some one or some few later grosse and grieuous sinnes committed and fallen vnto by vs yet is it meet that we rest not alone in the consideration of that one or those few sinnes so lately committed but by meanes thereof to take occasion to find out our other sinnes also and them all if we could by which in former time we transgressed and offended that all may be repented of and wee the better humbled for them As when one lighting a candle to goe seeke some one thing that he misseth by meanes of that light and seeking doth finde another yea many times many things that were ouercast and in a manner quite forgotten As a worthy man hath wisely obserued out of the practice of Dauid that being checked by Nathan for one grosse sinne lately committed and by him done he comming to make his repentance for it thinketh of more and neuer resteth till he come to the root of all to be humbled for his Originall sinne as well as for his actuall Psalm 51. as in that penitentiall Psalme composed by him is euident to be seene so is it meet that when by meanes of some grosse sinne lately or lastly committed our consciences are so wounded and our hearts so pierced and smitten thorow with sorrow and griefe as there is no abiding for vs longer to deferre and put of our repentance and humbling of our selues before the Lord for making our peace with him that wee take occasion therefrom to suruay and ouerlooke all our wayes to cast ouer the day-booke of our whole life to see what Items the Lord hath against vs and what arrearages we haue runne into by our transgressing his most righteous lawes and to goe so farre backe in searching and trying our wayes and Iob 14. 4. Psal 25. 7. well considering them in our hearts according as the Lord willeth vs to doe by the mouth of his Prophets Lam. 3. 40. Hag. 1. 5. 7. vntill we come with Iob and Dauid to bewaile the very sinnes of our youth and to aske mercy for them yea vntill we come to the head spring and fountaine of our Originall corruption and to gage the very belly and wombe of sin in our first conception and so acknowledge that with all the rest vnto God as particularly as we can labouring to breake our hearts for them all ioyntly and seuerally that so our hearts may fall into the more pieces there being the more stroks giuen to the same by the more sinnes we can remember to haue been committed by vs vntill our hearts may be so smitten and so contrite that they may be as if they were grownd euen to dust and powder for the which purpose we must narrowly search and sift our selues vnto the which course the Prophets haue so much and so often called Gods seruants by their earnest exhortations Zeph. 2. 1. Now albeit we be willing to take knowledge of all Of speciall sins our sinnes in generall yet are wee most to humble our selues to aske mercy and seeke reconciliation for our speciall sinnes whereof we are guilty if we can gesse which they are that God
this onely is the killing sinne which if it be not preuailed against will neuer be forgiuen neither in this world nor in the world to come for except you repent saith he that shall bee the Iudge of all the world you shall all likewise perish Luk. 13. 3. Neither doth that impardonable sinne against the holy Ghost otherwise kill but for that it is accompanied with finall impenitency for though God in himselfe be infinite in mercy yet hath Heb. 6. 6. he set markes marches and limits how farre and not beyond that to shew mercy to men that they may feare and tremble to offend and proceed in sinne CHAP. XXXIIII Of satisfaction and the diuers kindes thereof with the differences betweene true beleeuers and hypâ—crits therein BEsides confession of sinne there is another Satisfaction 1. To God thing that godly sorrow will vrge vnto namely satisfaction in al such cases wherin by our sinning we haue wronged either Church or Common-wealth or any singular person or persons be they more or fewer But as for making on our part any satisfaction vnto God for our sins committed against him we wholly renounce the opinion of theÌ„ that hold it possible by any meere man to be done and wee doe as much abhorre from the practice of euer endeuouring or going about the doing thereof giuing eare to what is said by the Psalmist Psal 49. 7. 8 concerning that namely that it is to be let alone for euer for it cost more to redeeme our soules and the price is greater then we are able to pay though we were able to giue the whole world and offer it vnto God in satisfaction for our sinne Wee know not of neither will wee acknowledge any other meete satisfaction and sufficient vnto the iustice of God for our sinnes then that alone which our blessed Sauiour himselfe hath offered when hee gaue himselfe a price of redemption for vs and offered vp his bodie vpon the crosse a sacrifice of a most sweete smelling sauour Ephes 5. 2. vnto God The best satisfaction that we can offer vnto God for our sins is with the renouncing of our selues and all opinion of our owne merits being cast downe before him in the brokennes of our hearts for offending of him that by the hands of our faith apprehending Christ Iesus wee hold him vp and all that hee hath done and suffered for vs desiring that thereby his iustice may be satisfied and we discharged And in this we may and are to rest and that boldly too Christ saith Augustine August serm 37 de verbis Apostolorum by taking vpon him the punishment of our sinnes and not the fault hath done away both the punishment and fault and then on our parts what is it that wee should feare that wee should goe about the satisfying of Gods iustice Peters teares saith Ambrose I read of but I read of no satisfaction that was made by him Neither euer was nor euer shall be made by any that can bee sufficient or meritorious but by Christ alone and therein we rest as touching such kinde of satisfaction Satisfaction to the Church for faults committed to the 2. To the Church scandall and offence thereof is when the offenders doe submit themselues to the discipline thereof beare such censures endure such corrections and performe such duties as shall be in iustice imposed vpon them and enioyned vnto them after such a fashion as the Church shall appoynt or approue of and so long a time as till the Church doe say it is enough and thinke it is sufficient that hath been done and so rest themselues as fully satisfied therein This hypocrites and counterfeit penitents will neuer Difference in hypocrites be brought readily to yeeld vnto nor found willing to performe though they make no daintie of sinne to commit it with how great offence soeuer that bee done yet their stomackes are too weake to brooke the shame that they ought iustly to take for it or the punishment that doth belong as due for the committing of it they thinke that which should be their gracing for euer the repairing and recouering of their credit againe with them that are good if any thing else be able to doe it namely conscionably and penitently to giue such satisfaction to the Church would be their shaming for euer make to the vtter ouerthrow of their credit and bring vpon them so great a confusion as they should neuer know how to looke any man in the face againe Rather then they will stand in a white sheete come into the congregation there vpon their knees with griefe to confesse their faults and renounce them publikely asking forgiuenes they will either runne the countrey or if it may be bought off with money they will be as franke in offering liberally euen to the full contenting of them that in that case haue to doe with them if they will take money so as thereby they may be discharged from further penance as euer were those hypocrites in their offers they made to God in the daies of Micah so as there might be dispensation Micah 6. 7. granted them for their sinne And yet these very persons will make a shew of being very penitent talke with them in priuate and you shall finde them as though they were much humbled you shall see them weep and shed teares in abundance and crie out of themselues for hauing done as they haue done you shal heare them to sob and sigh as if their hearts would breake within them but where they refuse to giue the Church due satisfaction this declareth them to be but ranke hypocrites hollow and vnsound and no better then plaine counterfeits in all that they doe beside For this their way as it is in the Psalme 49. 13. declareth their foolishnes They are like vnto stubborne Absalom who though he had committed that flagitious fact and most iniurious to his father of murthering his fathers sonne and his owne brother yet rather then he would any longer abide to goe vnder that which was but too easie a censure for so great a crime namely to endure his fathers frowning and the hiding of his face from him for a time he had rather dye be knocked on the head or hanged out of the way So these rather then they 2. Sam. 14. 32. will endure this shame of making such a satisfaction they will giue ouer all and will goe as farre as their legs will carrie them they are vexed and confounded not for that they haue sinned but because their sinne is found out and knowne for they are like to the people in Ieremiahs time of whom the Lord by his Prophet asketh whether Iere. 8. 12. they were ashamed when they had committed abomination and answereth againe the question nay they were not ashamed neither could they blush or take shame And Iere. 3. 3. it is directly said they refused to take shame which is the very thing that these doe and therfore
the delinquents on both sides vnsanctified persons whose consciences are neuer soundly touched with true remorse for committing any sinne neither for violating wholesome and good lawes what wrong soeuer that way hath been done by them they stand not vpon making any recompence or giuing satisfaction so farre as they are able to tender their goods where they are found sufficient to make it or to yeeld their bodies where their goods cannot doe it or patiently to lay downe their liues in cases wherein nothing else can be found sufficient fully to satisfie but they seeke shifts how to auoid all if they be great in the world they stand vpon their prerogatiues their greatnesse must allow them to bee lawlesse they are like the great flies which doe breake through the cobwebs they will not bee taken there is nothing can hold them If they bee poore and it be a pecuniarie mulct that is imposed vpon them for their trespasse they shift off the matter by their pouerty by meanes whereof they promise to themselues an immunity in such cases standing vpon that maxime where there is nothing to be had there the King must loose his right and so they will be sure by their shifting to pay nothing whether then be able yea or no. If their bodies bee attached they their next course is to spie out some aduantage how to scape away and breake out of the hands of them that haue taken them If seeing of the Sergeant or bribing of the Bailiffe will not serue the turne if they be clapt vp iâ— prison the prison must be strong if it can long hold them they will haue many times files to get off their bolts they haue deuices to open lockes to breake barres and find shifts to make a way for their scaping where no way could haue been immagined might haue been made before If they be put by all their muses and preuented of all their courses and no remedie but to the gallowes they must come there men of this sort are found to die either most desperately as those who after all the wrongs they offered to others all their life time sticke not to wrong God and nature it selfe in the end by carelesly yea madly casting away their life as though it were a thing but vile which God hath made so precious and nature teacheth all to be so charie of to stand so much for to make so much of as daily may bee seene Or else to take their deaths most impatiently as those who would yeeld no obedience nor giue any willing satisfaction either to law or to Magistrate otherwise then it is thus extorted from them but hold their rebellion to the end and so die therein Hereof we haue a pregnant example in that arch-enemie to the Gospell and most bloody persecutor of Gods faithfull seruants and traitor to the Prince and State Doctor Storie Doctor Story who first brake prison into which he was put and then being caught againe when he himselfe was brought to suffer death who had been the meanes of putting to death hundreds of others that died Martyrs in Gods cause in time of his most deserued execution by quartering was as the story doth report so impatient that he did not onely roare and cry out but also strucke the executioner while he was doing his office and resisted as long as strength did serue him and was Fulke in his confutation of Papists quarrels pag. 14. faine to be kept downe by three or foure men vntill hee was dead But they whose hearts are throughly touched and deeply pierced with sorrow for the sinnes they haue committed and whom God doth giue grace vnto to consider rightly their owne wayes in their hearts after they hauing been left to themselues for a time through strength In true penitents of tentation and frailty of nature haue not onely been ouercome to transgresse the lawes by some lesser crimes fallen into and faulted in but also drawne to commit some hainous wickednesses and enormious vices greatly preiudiciall to the State and Common-wealth in which they doe liue so as the wrong and hurt they haue done thereby cannot be recompensed nor the law satisfied the vnpartiall executing of Iustice by the Magistrate saued harmelesse without confiscation of their goods attaching of their bodies yea and in some cases the taking away of their very liues for so much as these knew there is no hope of obtaining any pardon of sinne at the hands of God if in the wrong done to a brother and persisted in the same be asked much lesse hauing dong a wrong vnto a whole society of brethren yea a whole state of a kingdome the parties delinquent should come to the court of heauen to sue for their pardon would their petition he euer regarded or looked vpon but the answere would be made them as Christ taughr in his doctrine If thou knowest thy brother hath ought against thee leaue thy Mat. 5. 23. gift at the Altar and goe and bee reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer And because they can haue no comfort of their sorrow if their sorrow cause not satisfaction nor proue that their repentance is vnto life if fruits worthy of repentance and amendment of life bee not borne out they willingly doe not betake themselues to any such shifts as are ordinarily to be found to bee taken by the other sort of offenders but they come in and submit themselues vnto the law and yeeld themselues to the Magistrate and that for conscience sake to make what recompence they can for the fault that they haue done and giue the best satisfaction that they are able they offer their goods where they will serue the turne they yeeld their bodies to prison where their goods cannot be taken and where their bodies yeelded to prison or to other punishment will not be taken for a sufficient satisfaction in regard of the hainousnesse of their transgression then their very liues themselues are no longer held so deare vnto them but that euen they also shall be laid downe to make the paiment full But all this is done of them with such humble submission and in so good a fashion as all that tooke themselues to haue been wronged by them before seeme now to rest contented and to be satisfied to the full Yea some that are executed as malefactors are many times found to take their deaths so patiently and so penitently with such brokennesse of heart with such sorrowing and mourning for their sins and abundant bewailing the mis-leading of their liues with shewing such testimonies of their sound repenting and being found to beare out such fruits of repentance vpon the tree they doe hang on that that tree seemeth now to be laden with good fruit and that of the best kind whilest with the good theefe on the Crosse they condemne themselues they iustifie the Law they reprooue Luk. 23. 40. 41. sinne in others they exhort to amendmeni of life they
warne all before them they pray much and feruently they looke to Christ they commit themselues to his mercy and so taking their deaths patiently all that see them thus dying make no doubt at all of their saluation Besides such a kind of satis-faction giuen to a publike 2. For not performing vniust lawes and wicked state by parties offending for violating wholesome and good lawes that haue been made euen the innocent serseruants of God when they haue been taken and condemned for offenders against a State because they haue not yeelded simple and absolute whole and ready obedience to all lawes in force thoug somtimes there haue and may fall out to be that there is an antinomie betweene the lawes of men and the lawes of God they also haue not refused neither yet will refuse in cases wherin they cannot satisfie the Law or the Magistrate by obeying the precept there to make satisfaction by their suffering the penalties that are set downe and that whether it be to the loosing of their goods and the loosing of their liuings they haue both learned and practised to suffer with ioy the spoyling of their goods because they Heb. 10. 34. looke to receiue in heauen a better and more enduring substance or whether it be to bonds or to imprisonment they are ready with Paul to be bound and refuse not to goe to Act. 21. 13. Gen. 39. 20. Psal 105. 18. prison with Ioseph though the iron doe enter into their soules when they are hurt in the stockes Yea they haue not refused to lay downe their liues if nothing but that would goe for payment As did the three children in Daniel for Dan. 3. 22. not obeying the Kings command suffer themselues to be throwne into the hot fierie furnace And Daniel himselfe Dan. 6. 16. to be throwne into the den of Lions for not obeying the decree of Darius which as a law of Medes and Persians might not be broken whose examples the blessed Martyrs of God haue since worthily followed And such kind of transgressors of lawes as this second sort are that haue been now mentioned are not to bee ranked vp among rebels neither are to bee euery way counted as persons that are disobedient for there must be a distinction made of obedience there is an obedience in doing and there is an obedience in suffering now where that which the Law commandeth cannot so safely with a good conscience or readily be done if that which the Law setteth downe as punishment to be inflicted for it bee patiently borne there is then another obedience shewed and a satisfaction giuen for the want of the former and for that which else could not be done Daniel though he disobeyed the commandement of the King in the doing of that though it were a law of the Medes and Persians which Dan. 6. 22. being once made might not be broken that hee might obey God the better yet iustified himselfe in that he had done and said plainly to the King that he had done him no wrong he was no rebell hee was no vndutifull subiect which may be said for others of Gods seruants in the like case and respect There is yet another kind of satisfaction and that is 4. Priuate and particular men more particular and priuate betweene man and man when wrong is offered to any man And this is also requisite to be made by euery person that is truly penitent if he would either giue testimony to others that his repentance is sound or take comfort to himselfe that his sinnes shall euer be pardoned For Augustine hath well set that Non remittitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum August downe there is no looking for pardon for the sinne if that which was taken away be not restored againe And this did Daniel giue in counsell to Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4. 27. who had been a great spoyler waster and vndoer of the greatest part of the world he hauing vndone many and made them poore he counselleth him to make some satisfaction vnto them againe and so breake off his sinnes by exercising now more righteousnesse and shewing mercy to the poore whom in some sort hee shall satisfie for the wrongs before hee had done them in spoyling of them if now againe hee will succour them and helpe them in their need Hypocrites and worldly-minded persons they haue Difference in hypocrites no skill of this restitution nor will to make this kind of satisfaction if they haue got any thing that is no matter how that they thinke to bee their owne that they will hold fast and they will be sure to part with nothing They are of their religion that will neither doe right to others nor take any wrong to themselues Wherin they goe not so farre as Iudas that notable hypocrite did nor doe not so much as did he the money that Iudas had gotten for selling his Master was as iustly and as lawfully his as the money of many is theirs that they come by for it was his by buying and selling and performing his bargaine now it was as lawfully his as the money that men sell good corne for and put chaffe and drosse into it and as the money that men get by oppression and vsurie who feeling the sweetnesse of gaining care not how they come by money though it were by sucking out the very life-blood of the owners thereof so they may haue it But though these know and feele the sweetnesse of the comming of it in they know not with what bitternesse it will goe out againe Iudas might haue kept his money by any law of the land he had sold and performed his bargaine and why might hee not haue kept the money that hee had therefore gotten but his conscience so pincht him and prickt him for his treason against his Master whom he had sold to get this money it being the purchase of that his iniquitie and knowing how vnlawfully he had got it his hands could hold it no longer he was neuer quiet till he had brought it againe and giuen it to them of whom he had it though that neither would quiet him for nothing was done as it should be soundly by him his repentance was a false repentance and this satisfaction a false fruit of the same What then may be hoped for of them that goe not so farre in making satisfaction and restoring againe that which they haue most vniustly taken as this damned diuell Iudas did who is now in hell But they that are truly penitent indeed for their sinne whatsoeuer wrong they either know themselues or can be shewed by others that they haue offered to any man either in his person in his name or in his goods they neuer can be quiet till they naue made the partie satisfaction and that to the full if their ability will extend so farre that so it may be performed by them If meanes bee wanting that they cannot doe as they would they shew themselues more penitent and by a greater submission they humble themselues before the parties wronged and aske them forgiuenesse of that which they cannot make any better satisfaction for And in such kind of wrongs wherein others haue been wronged in their goods either vniustly taken away or wrongfully with-held by them if the parties be dead to whom such wrong hath been offered then seeke they out who are left that did belong vnto them and were neerest of their kinne that to them they may make a full restitution and satisfaction for the wrong If none such can be found to bee liuing they will rather bring it to the Church for holy vse and see the poore to haue it distributed among them then they will keepe pennie or pennies-worth thereof which as the plague would infect all they had beside and fret as a canker till it had consumed whatsoeuer before had been iustly gotten and which with good peace they might haue still possessed well and kept lawfully as their owne This care to make restitution they haue learned from the practice of that blessed penitent and saued-conuert rich Zacheus who hauing been a great piller and powler of the people in the day that saluation by Christ was brought to his house stood forth and said Lord halfe of my goods I giue to the poore and if I haue taken any thing from any man by forged accusation I restore him foure-fold Thus much touching confession and satisfaction which two do neuer faile to accompany that sorrow especially which is godly that causeth repentance neuer to be repented of being repentance vnto life FINIS Errata Page 1. line 24. read heare p. 74. l. 4. r. which p 81. l. 21. r. good p. 84. l. 22. r Lydia p 86. l. 22. r. the tongue p. 92. l. 3. r. which ibid. 18. r. for it p. 94. l. 25. r. as if it p. 97. l. 2. r. as if it p. 97. l. 2. r. truth p. 100. l. 14. r. so thirdly p. 192. l. 2. r. deiected ibid. 6. r. reuiue p. 240. chap. r. permanent and enduring p. 269. chap. r. considered and first p. 134. l. 6. r. rending p. 140. l. 10. r. as p. 145. l. 36. r. hurts p. 154. marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 171. l. 14. r. himselfe p. 180. l. 3. r. haue p. 182. l. 36. r. And as p. 183. l. 31. r. much p. 186. l. 16. â— lâ—fe p. 189. l. 17 r. are such p. 192. l. 2. r. deiected ibid. l. 6. r. reuiue p. 199. l. 26. r. haue him p. 212. l 6. r. doe see 213. l 1â— r. is found ibid. 26. r. which in p. 224. l. 31. r. on p. 231. l. 25. r. cruelly p. 234. l. 20. r. beloued p. 235. l. 1. r. father in law p. 252. l. 25. r. ioy